The invention relates to a shield for covering a pipe flange connection. A substance which remains in the pipeline when the flange connection is opened, such as a toxic chemical, may injure the person who opens the flange connection to perform a repair or replacement job. This shield prevents the situation from happening.
In many industrial installations, such as chemical plants, it is common practice to connect pipelines together with flanged connections. The connection usually consists of at least two identical flanges. Each flange is welded or otherwise secured to the end of a pipe section and the connection is made by bolting the flanges together with a gasket compressed between the flanges. In a chemical plant, there are various situations which require opening the flange connection from time to time. For example, one reason for opening a flange connection is to replace pipe sections which develop leaks. Another situation which requires opening the flange connection is for the purpose of replacing or repairing equipment, such as pumps, valves, or instruments, which are connected into a pipeline with a flanged connection.
In those instances where a toxic chemical remains in the pipelines at the time the flanged connection is broken, it can be very hazardous to the person opening the flange unless proper safety procedures are taken. For example, frequently the chemical remaining in the pipeline will be under high pressure when the flanges are unbolted, therefore, the chemical may spray out through the gap between the flanges and hit the person working on the line. This is a very undesirable situation even if the maintenance worker is wearing protective clothing, since there is always the possibility of serious injury. Because of this safety problem, there is an urgent need in the industry for a device which can be used on a flange connection to prevent the material remaining in a pipeline from spraying directly onto the person opening the connection.